2023 DEALER OF EXCELLENCE WINNERGary Moe |
 |
Gary Moe Auto Group / Red Deer, Stettler, Lacombe, and Lethbridge
Gary Moe started his career in car sales, after working in the forestry industry early in life. Once he experienced the thrill of helping someone to meet their auto needs, he was hooked. Gary, and his wife Susan, started a used car lot in Red Deer in 1985. Gary handled inventory and sales, while Susan managed the business side, building on her former career in banking.
From 1988 to 2009, Gary owned Gary Moe Saturn Isuzu in Red Deer. During that period, he also acquired Mazda and Volkswagen dealerships, both located in ‘Gasoline Alley’ in Red Deer. In 2003, Gary Moe Hyundai was established, sons Dean and Eric joined the company, and the organization became the Gary Moe Auto Group. “You don’t get any of it without hustling and working hard. It’s all about attitude – if you have the right attitude you can do a lot of things,” says Moe.
In 2010, he opened the Gary Moe Detail Shop, and in 2015, he built an 8,300 sq. ft. detail shop. The new, state-of-the-art Gary Moe Hyundai on North Hill, also built in 2015, serves as the headquarters for the Gary Moe Auto Group. Also in 2015, he bought the Chrysler dealership in Lacombe, and just completed a new store there, moving in last month. In Lethbridge, Gary bought the Mazda store in 2018, and the Chrysler dealership in 2023, both of which are now headed up by longtime employee Brandon Mourits. In between, in 2022, a Chevrolet dealership was acquired in Stettler. He’s proud to have retained so many staff during these transitions, and he credits the general managers for their leadership.
He now serves as president of the Gary Moe Auto Group, which includes seven dealerships in Red Deer, Lacombe, Stettler and Lethbridge. “I have to pinch myself sometimes as I can’t quite believe how things have worked out,” says Moe.
Moe adds, “This is not just me, it’s my family and my team. This is something that the whole group has won. It takes everyone to make things happen, lots of ideas.”